k.d. lang at the Beacon Theatre, NYC 12/2/00, Photo © 2000 NY Rock more photos

I had sent the wife (AKA Pumpkin Luck) to the photo pit to get some shots of k.d. so the opening moments of the set were pretty much a lonely affair. I watched the crowd chatting and draining bottles of Poland Spring Water. (By the way, if there are any takers out there, I'll soon be starting my own brand of New York City bottled water. I'll be featuring both pulp and non-pulp varieties.)

K.d. took the stage a little after nine, looking much like she just woke up for her morning coffee, sporting blue jeans, bare feet, and a loose cotton blouse. As she opened the set, it became clear that k.d.'s pipes, and her eight-piece backup band, were in fine form.

Lang's approach to performing is casual in more ways than just her bare-footed attire. She takes her time between songs, bantering with the crowd and engaging band members in good-natured "shenanigans" (as she called them). Her sound is clean and impeccable. No Marshall stacks here, just a painfully tight band that has obviously not had a problem quitting their day jobs.

k.d. lang at the Beacon Theatre, New York City 12/2/00, Photo © 2000 NY Rock, more photos

For her third number, k.d. introduced her new single, "The Consequences of Falling," as a song that would be soaring "to the top of the charts, scaring the bejeezus out of Britney and the Backstreet Boys," if such a thing is possible. Around midway through her set, an audience member awarded her with the current edition of Playboy. "Thank you," she said, thumbing through the magazine. "I know just where to turn – page 92." After taking a moment to admire the centerfold, lang launched into the Roy Orbison classic "Crying," further showcasing those larger-than-life pipes I mentioned earlier.

K.d. made a concerted effort throughout the evening to introduce band members, exchanging in a warm-hearted hug with each individual in the process. Included in this practice, of course, were her three backup vocalists – one svelte looking blonde, another brunette, and one, ahem, deliciously curvy African-american lady (all three of which sang in the most heavenly of manners). After obligatory hugs with the luscious trio, k.d. sauntered away. "Definitely, my favorite part of the evening," she said, sotto voce, into the microphone.

Additional numbers performed by lang and company included her big hit "Constant Craving," and a short rendition of the Peggy Lee classic "Fever." For an encore, k.d. traded in her jeans for a very surreal-looking Marie Antoinette getup, which may have had certain members of the audience wondering if someone had spiked their spring water.

In total, there's not much bad you can say about the woman. She has a upbeat personality that is well received by her crowd; she's assembled a top-notch band that could give Paul Schaffer a run for his money any night of the week, and she's got a magnificent set of pipes that I've been blabbering about for some time now. If pressed for criticism, I would say that with all the cash she's been pulling in during her tour, she might consider investing in a pair of shoes, just to avoid little things like splinters, electrocution and the heartbreak of athlete's foot.